Well folks, here’s my two cents about the Shepherd school situation with the Athletic Director resigning and football coach’s situation.
But first, congratulations to both of our YCN Sports teams that placed at state. Our Skyview Lady Falcons are the AA State Champions for 2024 and our other YCN Sports team we followed this year was the Huntley Project Lady Red Devils who placed 3rd in Class B and brought home their first ever hardware to Huntley Project girls basketball program in school history. We at YCN Sports are taking a break until this fall. We’ve completed over 200+ games this school year and want to thank all the sponsors, advertisers, supporters and listeners over this year. We could not nor would we do all these broadcasts if it was not for the help and support of the sponsors, advertisers, supporters and listeners like you. I look forward to a break but then we’ll get back to it this fall.
Ok, I want to address the unfortunate announcement that Tina Downing, Shepherd’s Athletic Director, will be stepping down at the end of this school year due to the football coaching situation that occurred last week. I’m sure she’s been probably thinking about it for some time before last week’s situation but maybe that situation just sped up her decision as well. I know I’m not the only one that feels the same way as I’ve talked to other administrators, head coaches, athletic directors and community members in Shepherd this last couple days and weekend. I also recognize and respect those that have a different opinion but here’s my take and petition.
I’ve worked with a lot of athletic directors over the last five years as our YCN Sports broadcasts have interacted with many athletic directors from Glasgow to Baker to Lame Deer and clear across the state to Florence and Missoula. Tina Downing was a breath of fresh air when she took the job and additional responsibilities at Shepherd and exceeded my expectations in every way. Is she perfect? No, and neither is the rest of us, including myself.
Folks, I don’t have enough space to write about all she has done for the school, kids and community over the last three years as the athletic director but I don’t just give out a YCN Sports Athletic Director of the Year Award to someone that is not truly deserving of the recognition. Athletic Directors are a thankless job and good ones are hard to come by.
I realized her impact on the school, kids and community as I interviewed individuals and talked to community members for our front-page story this week. Hopefully, I put the facts and sentiment from those involved in the hard news story but here in my column, I get to opine and interconnect in a different way.
I think there is plenty of blame to go around, but the success and hard work that Tina has put into the school athletics, sports, and students in general is beyond admirable and respectable.
Like Lucan Logan said in his interview, Tina will be hard to replace and I agree wholeheartedly. Even Drea O’Donnell the superintendent said she would absolutely hire her back if Tina so chose to continue as AD. Then to hear Russ Hale genuinely speak about Tina Downing and the credit he gave her in all she had done for the football program and kids in general is humbling even in the middle of all this fallout.
I personally think Tina Downing is harder on herself and that is why she submitted her resignation to the administration as she accepted her part of the situation.
If the community is willing to rally behind Russ Hale (Who has done so much for the football program) and overlook his egregious language and allow him grace and space to grow, it would also be very telling and reflective of the Shepherd community to encourage Tina Downing to stay as the Athletic Director (Which she has done so much for as well) and together they as a community team can do wonders and that would truly be a story of a community coming together and their rally cry that “We Are Shepherd” would eclipse and outshine the little things that separate them.
I don’t know if it can be done and if all parties are amicable, BUT I do think the right key players, sentiments and elements are in place for the dream team to come together in Shepherd.
For I truly think Superintendent Drea O’Donnell said it best in her YCN interview this week when she said, “We all make mistakes and we need to be willing to work through that and our community needs to understand that too.”
In the meantime, What’s your rally call?
See you in the paper.
JDM
